Stephen King's IT (1990)
With all the recent hubbub around the It remake I thought
it would be worth finally checking out the original. What I didn't know
what that this was essentially two TV movies glued back to back, so I
found watching the whole thing in one go was a bit much, especially as
the second half kinda wanes and gets lost a bit. I don't know what it is
about Stephen King stories, but they are just more enjoyable when it
involves children. It just seems that the type of horror that Mr. King
creates is more fitting to a child's world view (that might be because
most of it is a pile of shit that only kids could believe, but there we
go).
That being said (and probably for that reason, thinking about it), the
kids really shine here. The first half of the film is filled with
mystery and wonder, but when they are all grown up the characters are
boring and annoying. When It turns into a ridiculous (in the best way
possible!) giant spider puppet, things start looking up, only to
disappoint me when it doesn't chop half of the cast to tiny pieces with
its massive pincers. I did enjoy It, I really did, but I found it very
drawn out and I think the whole "PG horror" thing really isn't for me.
On the plus side, Tim Curry was amazing as Pennywise - I wish I had seen
this as a kid, that shit would have terrified me! - 24/10/2017